Holmes Red Cross stressing fire prevention this week

According to the American Red Cross, the organization responds to a house fire on the average of once every nine minutes across the country.

During Home Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 7-13, the American Red Cross, Holmes County Chapter, is conducting Fire Safety Walks to encourage residents in several area neighborhoods to prepare for and prevent house fires.

"Many times, these home fires are preventable," said Holmes County Chapter Executive Director Patricia Lang. "Our job is to get (the information) out there so that people here know about it."

Chapter volunteers are distributing fire safety information explaining how to prevent home fire and detailing what to do when a fire does occur. Volunteers will visit schools and distribute the material on bus routes.

"Several volunteers will be doing the walks at different times as it suits," said Lang, noting the walkers will distribute informational door hangers on door knobs throughout the county. "Please take notice, and you can call the office for more information."

The information includes tips about smoke alarms, creating a household fire escape plan, preventing cooking fires and heating a home safely this winter.

While the whole month is dedicated to fire prevention, "this week we've designated as a time to keep reminding people about some of these safety rules," said Lang. "And it's catching on."

The annual county average is about 12-14 house fires a year, said Lang, who remembers that number reaching a high of 24 fires one year. This year, there were only four house fires.

"Since I started working here in 1993, we've never had that kind of a number," she said.

While home fires are the most common disaster the Red Cross responds to, they also are the most preventable. The Holmes County Chapter offers the following tips to help families avoid the tragedy of a house fire:

-- Install smoke alarms on every level of the house and inside bedrooms.

-- Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year, testing monthly.

-- Ensure household members know two ways to escape from every room and designate a place to meet outside of the house in case of a fire. Practice the plan at least twice a year.

-- Never re-enter a burning house. Once safely out of danger, stay out.

-- Get to safety, then call 911 or the local emergency number.

The most important of these instructions, said Lang, is first getting safely out of the burning house.

"Some people think that if there is a fire, they need to call the fire department right away and stay inside to call the fire in. But that is one of the most unsafe things to do," she explained. "Get out, stay out, then call the fire department."

She also highly recommends performing regular fire drills.

"We need to practice those with our families, especially if we have children," she cautioned.

Other common mistakes to avoid, which Lang has witnessed, are keeping flammable materials around heat sources, smoking in bed and allowing children access to matches. Unregulated portable heaters and overloading electrical outlets also are common house fire culprits, she said.

Following these tips could not only protect one's property and possessions from damage, said Lang, but could prevent an even worse loss.

"If we don't have a fire in a residence, it could save a life," she said. "It's bad enough losing your home and all your belongings, but when we have lives lost too its a whole different story. If we can save lives, and prevent property damage and loss preventable, then we want to help do that."

Homeowners can also visit www.redcross.org/prepare to learn how to prepare one's home and family for emergencies like home fires.

For more information, contact Patricia Ann Lang at 330-674-5861 or patricia.lang@redcross.org.

Reporter Kelley Mohr can be reached at 330-674-5676 or kmohr@the-daily-record.com.